On Results Day, faced with Clearing, it's easy for phone-phobia to set in, but
this isn't the time to be shy, says David Ellis. Be clear and
confident and do your research

Results Day is not for the faint hearted. When it’s off in the distance, it taunts school leavers all summer, before catching people off-guard by arriving all too suddenly.

For those whose achievements fall short of their course requirements, there’s little time to obsess over where things fell apart – instead, for anyone deciding to go through Clearing, it’s time to still the nerves and warm up the telephone voice.

Of course, with confidence bruised by disheartening results, the idea of dialling a stranger to convince, coerce and charm one’s way onto a new course is distinctly unappetizing. Remember, though, Clearing helplines intend to help, and universities are keen to fill up their courses. Have confidence and read what’s below to better the chances of a successful call.

Any success over the phone depends almost entirely on preparation. Rush into the call without a firm idea of what you’re looking for and you’ll struggle. Even the best of us can have an off day (see: my entire examination history) so it’s worthwhile preparing now.

Lynsey Hopkins, head of admissions for Sheffield University, stresses this: "Think carefully about what you want to study and what kind of university you want to go to, and then do some research. Start with the vacancy listings, check which ones your grades make you eligible for, then go the universities' websites and look in more detail at the courses and universities to make a shortlist of ones that interest you."

Peter Dunn, a spokesman for the University of Warwicksays: "When students get results, they should take a deep breath, stop and look carefully. There’s a vast array of Russell group unis [in Clearing] not available before."

Plainly, take a little time to consider your choices. Clearing is often a hasty, urgent mess of a thing but it needn’t be – and there are better options this year than ever previously. Have a list of at least five alternate universities and courses (including course names and codes) – if you don’t get offered a place at one, hang up and move on. Set ‘em up, knock ‘em down.

Making that call

It shouldn’t be difficult: tap in the number and press call. But the stress of things can cloud even the clearest minds, so prepare written notes to prompt yourself with.

Matthew Usher, Outreach and Student Advisor from theUniversity of Bournemouth, recommends knowing your details thoroughly: "As soon as they call, students chat to the first Clearing team, who are there to find out what the student’s current results are and what course they are interested in.

"We’ll be looking initially for eligibility to do a course and want to see if the UCAS points add up – which is why it’s so important when a student rings up that they tell us everything up front."

Know your A-Levels, AS Levels and GCSE’s thoroughly and write them down, with their value as UCAS points. Every single call made will involve a discussion of results, so ensure they’re always to hand.

Lynsey and Matthew both emphasise how vital it is students do things themselves. Lynsey says: "You should always make the call yourself. You may be tempted to let your teacher or a parent do it for you, particularly if you're feeling anxious or upset, but universities want to hear from you."

Matthew agrees: "Sometimes when students are disappointed they don’t feel like calling. It can be a daunting process – but it’s really, really important for a university to speak with the applicant. The university isn’t often permitted to talk in any detail about an individual student or their application with a parent."

So – what will be said?

Bear in mind that universities and soon-to-be students share a common goal: you want a place, and they want to fill places. More than that, you want to demonstrate you deserve place at their university and they want a keen student with the right academics.

Sound confident: being upset over results is no excuse to share your life story or beg for ‘whatever you’ve got that I can get onto’. You’re meant to passionate about a certain subject.

"Be clear and confident about results, as the person on the end of the phone may not have access to your results straight away," advises Matthew. A candidate calling with a clear course in mind will impress better than someone undecided.

The call is likely to have two stages. Initially, callers will speak with a member of the Clearing helpline team to chat over results and courses. Should this go well, a student will be put through the relevant member of staff, who’ll likely be the programme administrator.

As to be expected, this conversation is broader and explores the motivations of a student – this is where a having a personal statement to hand is useful, just in case you’ve forgotten what life event ‘inspired an undying passion’ for your subject.

The course administrator wants the best people for their course, so this is the time to impress. If all goes well, they may make a verbal offer which will typically stand for 24 hours – but it needn’t be accepted immediately.

Take time to telephone other universities first, to get a clear idea of what your options are. As Lynsey notes: "Don't forget that the conversation about a Clearing place is a two-way process: yes, the university is trying to decide if you are suitable for their course, but you also need to make sure that the course and university are what you want.

"Ask questions about the things that are important to you - the universities will respect you for doing this as it shows you are thinking carefully and considering your options seriously."

Do’s and don’ts

Do have your details printed out. An advisor will ask for your grades and your Ucas Track number. Be prepared.

Don’t call up until you’ve done your research. Don’t be fooled by the idea that Clearing is all over in the first half an hour – it’s not. Consider your options and call up well-informed and confident in your choices.

Do record the conversation, or at least jot it down. If you’re calling a number of universities, it’s easy to get confused between offers. This would be catastrophic. Know who you’ve called, what they’ve said, if there’s an offer and how long it stands for.

Don’t forget to take down names, emails and direct telephone numbers. You may need to get back in touch with someone you spoke to - don’t start again at the back of the queue.

Do read over your personal statement – the admissions tutor may refer to it. Don’t be tripped up by the little exaggerations you may or may not have written.

Don’t beg or ask for ‘anything going’ – you won’t come across as committed to your education, you’ll only reek of desperation, which gives the impression you don’t care about the university you’re applying to.

Do be prepared for hold music, or the engaged tone. These helplines are busy! If the line is engaged, hang up, move on, and come back to it later.

Don’t be shy: if ever there was a time to sell yourself, this is it, especially if you’re chatting with an admissions tutor. Make them want you.

Do have your computer to hand at all times. Not only will it prove invaluable for last minute research, once you’ve had verbal offers and made up your mind, you can sign into Ucas Track to confirm your decision and sort the necessary formalities.

Once that’s done, have the courtesy to call back universities who you aren’t accepting an offer from – they may be holding a place for you which another student could take.

And of course, don’t forget to say ‘Bye’ at a pitch ten times higher than your normal speaking voice. It's the only way to end a Clearing phonecall.